Be Accountable To You

Nutrition By Nancy Adler

As with most people, you might have a love-hate relationship with your bathroom scale. Normal daily fluctuations can be maddening when all you want to see is one less pound. I suggest you weigh yourself only once a week. This will keep you accountable week to week but help prevent the frustrating small changes you might see day to day. People somehow find a food reward if there is a daily gain or loss. If there’s a weight loss they feel they worked hard so why not eat something gooey and sweet. If they gained a pound or so they throw their hands up and say “ forget this! “ and eat anything and everything out of frustration. The scale is not always our friend.

When you’re trying to lose weight or maintain a hard-fought weight loss, willpower alone often isn’t enough to keep you on track. And even if you think you’re maintaining your goal weight, it’s all too easy for a few pounds to creep back on. Keeping a daily food journal is accountability key in reaching your weight loss and fitness goals. Logging your food intake not only will be the sure fire way to lose those pounds but teach you the how’s and why’s through your journey . As I educate my clients, I recommend maintaining accountability to the one person who really matters — you!

Invest in a tape measure. A very precise way to measure success is with a cloth tape measure. By measuring your waistline, hips, bust, and even thighs and calves, you can record tangible progress toward your goal with the kind of detail that a scale can’t give you. Because muscle takes up less volume than fat, you’ll see inches drop, even when the scale might not move.

Do you have a favorite pair of jeans? Some people keep a pair of bigger sized pants around as a tip-off to weight loss that starts to creep back, but this technique isn’t effective for everyone. You might be better off keeping a different pair of pants handy — ones you know you always want to fit into. Some people like to keep a pair of pants in a size that is not far from their goal so they know when they reach it.

In my practice I find that when couples begin the journey of weight loss they are most successful. Having a “we’re in this together” buddy not only reinforces accountability, but also provides positive weight-loss and weight-maintenance motivation. You can call your buddy if you find yourself wavering, and you won’t be inclined to hit the snooze button and skip your morning walk if your friend is depending on you, too. And the flip side is if your buddy is a back out, you move forward on your own. After all it’s your body for life.

Focus forward! Setting a specific goal can be a very effective weight-loss strategy. One of the most common reasons people want to lose weight is because they are working toward a goal, like their child is getting married, or they’ve got a reunion coming up. Be careful not to focus so much on a single transitory milestone that your plan falls apart afterwards. Set permanent objectives, too, such as living longer or even feeling more comfortable in your clothes.

We must all agree that physical activity is key to maintaining weight loss, and one of the best ways to stay on track is to keep a fitness log. It can be as simple as marking an “X” on a calendar on days you exercise — it’s motivating to see a chain of Xs that you won’t want to break. Make it a habit for life .

Ever wish you had a drill sergeant who could put you through your exercise routine? You might not be able to afford a personal trainer who pushes you to complete reps, stick to your weight loss diet, and set new goals, but with today’s given situation you can have a virtual one, courtesy of one of the hundreds of fitness apps available. Walking is one of the easiest exercises around, and with the right motivation you can add to your daily tally. An inexpensive pedometer is a great accountability aid that can prompt you to forge further ahead to reach fitness goals. Aim for 10,000 steps a day!

Losing weight and maintaining that ideal weight is a journey. Set up little rewards along the way to stay on the right path. Whether it’s a size goal, a weight goal or a measurement goal, the trick is to reward yourself along the way. Don’t use a food reward, but instead go get a massage, facial or go to a movie.

Nancy Adler is a certified nutritionist and practitioner in Linwood. Her office is located in Cornerstone Commerce Center, 1201 New Rd. Learn about her practice at www.nancyadlernutrition.com (609)653-4900